Scottish Government ‘urgently’ searching for missing minutes of ‘gold command’ meetings

The Scottish Government is "urgently” looking into whether it has any further notes or minutes from key pandemic meetings that it can provide to the UK Covid Inquiry.

Humza yo us af confirmed the move at First Minister’s Questions in Holyrood yesterday.

The inquiry was previously told that meetings of senior ministers outside the Scottish Cabinet – known as the “gold command” – were not minuted.

Giving evidence earlier this week, Kate Forbes, the former finance secretary, said she was “surprised” to learn this.

Jamie dawson kc, lead counsel to the inquiry, said the body had asked the scottish government for all its relevant papers and no minutes for gold command were provided.

During FMQS, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-hamilton challenged Mr Yousaf on the failure to minute the gold command meetings, which involved Ms Sturgeon and other senior figures, including Mr Yousaf.

Mr Cole-hamilton demanded the First Minister launch a ministerial code investigation into the lack of gold command record-keeping.

“Presiding Officer, we did hear striking testimony yesterday from the former first minister,” Mr Cole-hamilton said.

“About a personal phone on which she retained Whatsapp messages for the [Alex] Salmond Inquiry, but deleted them for every aspect of the pandemic, forever denying the bereaved families an insight into the mind of the person who held all of the power.

“About hospitality rules seemingly made up at random … and a secret central committee, in charge it seems of everything, about which the finance secretary knew nothing and of which there are no minutes. A government within a government.

“Humza yo us afsa wall of this and yet, did nothing. So why is he now standing in the way of a ministerial code investigation?”

Mr Yousaf responded: “On gold command meeting minutes, the government is ur gently examining and exploring that, and it will hand over to the inquiry any notes that we have on gold command minutes and meetings.”

The First Minister’s commitment comes as it was revealed Ms Sturgeon had given the mobile phone she used during the first year of the pandemic to a family member.

Ms Sturgeon confirmed the location of her previous smartphone sin a written statement published yesterday. the scots man understands the phone was wiped before being given to the family member.